Chapter Twenty-four
"She's going to be fine, Lieutenants," Phlox stated reassuringly. "Luckily, it was only a flesh wound."She had been cleaned off, all the bloody gore removed from her resting form. Malcolm had left for one brief moment, Em swearing she wouldn't leave her side. He had run to his quarters for a change of uniform, not wanting Hoshi to wake to any reminders of the trauma she had suffered.
When he returned to sickbay he walked over to the biobed, took her hand, and rested his head on her shoulder. That had been two days ago and she hadn't stirred. He questioned Phlox regarding her condition and was assured by the irritated physician that she was merely resting.
Malcolm only left her side except to use the bathroom. Even then, he didn't leave her unattended, only entrusting Trip or Em to keep her company while she slumbered like some sleeping beauty waiting for a kiss.
Convinced she could hear him, Malcolm spoke to her as he stroked the uneven cut of her much shorter hair.
Phlox was
unable to determine the cause of death for the other crew. In all honesty,
Malcolm didn't care.
"Were there any survivors?" Admiral Forrest asked Jon as he leaned forward,
folding his arms onto the desk.
"No, sir," Jon answered with conviction. "Admiral…I was under the impression
that Enterprise had the only warp five-capable engine in Starfleet."
Admiral Forrest stared Jon in the eye. "I was under that same impression as
well. Just a few minutes ago, Admiral Basilone stopped by to see me. It was as
if he already knew what happened. He's sending a team out to procure the
vessel."
Jon leaned forward, getting ready to question the Admiral further but was cut
off.
"It's 'need to know', Jon," Admiral Forrest stated succinctly.
Jon dropped the conversation, but only grudgingly, knowing he would get no
further information. "Is that all, Admiral?"
"Yes. Forrest out."
Jon looked at the blank screen, his frustration mounting.
"Thank you for your time, Admiral Forrest," Basilone stated, turning to leave.
"If any harm comes to Enterprise due to the negligence of your team…" Forrest's
threat hung in the air, challenging the man that stood before him.
Basilone didn't reply and walked out, determined to salvage any and all
components of his life's work. Luckily, three overseers were on assignment at
the time the Witch attacked the compound. He would be able to rebuild. His
initial reaction was to go to the Witch and gut her, but he still needed her
alive. She hadn't fooled him one bit with the possum routine and he had even
picked up information of her status from Archer. They had recovered her.
In due time
his team would capture her, and he would personally make her suffer.
"It's been a week, doctor! When is she going to wake up? What's wrong with her?
You said she was fine…that she was just resting." Malcolm's barrage of
questions reflected his dissatisfaction at not being able to wake her.
He had to leave her to attend to his duties, manning tactical in the event that
the team sent to recover the ship tried anything. He didn't trust the team. The
only comfort he had taken over the last several days was Hoshi's lingering
presence in his mind. But even that had evaporated once the team had arrived.
They were gone now, not having uttered one word, just transporting a member of
their team to man the helm. Then both ships took off at warp five as if to
taunt them.
Captain Archer had given him the next few days off, knowing Malcolm would be
torn between his duties and Hoshi.
"It's time that we considered she's not waking up for more than physical
reasons. All of her readings are nominal. The incision has healed nicely and
she is getting enough fluids and nutritional supplements through the dermal
patches," Phlox sighed. "It's up to her now."
Malcolm bowed his head, knowing what Phlox meant even though he wasn't saying
it.
There was no beautiful scenery this time as she opened her mind's eye. She
was in sickbay with a weight on her arm and hand. She looked down and saw Malcolm's
head resting there and she smiled, reaching with her other hand to stroke his
hair.
At the slight touch, his head jerked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. He
kissed her hand, looking into the opaque light of her eyes. His silent prayers
reached out to her.
"Please. I need you," was whispered in his heart.
"I'm here," she replied, earning a loving grin from him as he stroked her hair.
She pulled her head away, wondering why his touch on her hair seemed different.
She reached a hand up, touching the shortened crop. Upset at the loss of the
beauty and feeling inadequate and tainted, she whispered, "They cut my hair."
"It'll grow back," he replied, kissing the top of her head for emphasis.
"I'm a freak," she pointed out, not exactly knowing what to make of her power.
She wanted to push it away, yet embrace it at the same time. She worriedly
wondered if he could ever love her because of it.
In response to her challenge, he assured her, "I've always had a penchant for
being different."
The chill of her guilt nipped at her soul and she looked down, pulling away
from him.
"I killed all those people," she mumbled, tears welling in her eyes.
Forcing her to look at him, wrapping her in his embrace, he stated with warmth
and conviction, "You defended yourself."
She cried in his arms, comforted by his absolution and reasoning.
He whispered to her, words she actually didn't understand.
"Please come back to me. I need you. I love you," he implored her. As if those
reasons weren't enough, he continued. "Em's been a pissy bitch ever since you
got back. She won't let Trip near her. I'm sure you've heard Trip talking to
you, luv. He misses you too. You've got to wake up."
It felt as though her heart were exploding as she thought beyond her love for
Malcolm, extending it to her dearest friends. "I'll try."
Malcolm jerked awake, his neck protesting at the angle it had been resting at.
The hand he held squeezed his and he immediately looked up to her face as her
eyes fluttered open. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
"I knew you would make it back to me," he whispered into her ear as he kissed a
path along her jaw line and finally her lips, whispering words of love to her
before his lips sealed over hers.
"I love you too," whispered Hoshi when he pulled away.
"Dr. Phlox, she's awake!" Malcolm declared joyfully.
Phlox hustled over to the woman who had slumbered for a little over a week in
his domain and started scanning her.
"Where's Em?" Hoshi asked as she held Malcolm's hand up to her lips.
"She hasn't been back, ever since she was dragged out. I spoke to Trip this
morning and he mentioned that he was on his way to her quarters so she had
'somebody to hit,'" Malcolm smirked, relief still coursing through his body.
He sighed.
Hoshi could tell something was wrong and asked, "What's the matter?"
Malcolm bowed his head onto her lap and shuddered.
"I'm real. You're not dreaming," she whispered, grabbing his hand and placing it over her heart so that he could feel her it race.
"She's fit to leave sickbay, Lieutenant," announced Phlox, breaking the enchantment that wove around them. "Welcome back, Hoshi."
"Thank you, doctor," she smiled and swung her legs around to sit up fully. Malcolm helped her off the biobed, helping her into a robe, and holding her by the elbow as she walked along side him.
As they exited sickbay, Hoshi moved to the right toward her quarters while Malcolm pulled her to the left. "Where are we going," she asked, puzzled.
"Our quarters," announced Malcolm nonchalantly, as he continued his explanation. "I lost you once. I'm not about to lose you again."
Hoshi blushed and willingly went with her love.